#3634 - Italian Gravy (Red Sauce)

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion (minced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 cups water
2 - 32oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 16oz. can Hunt's tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. white sugar (more if necessary)
salt, pepper and oregano (to your taste)

In a Dutch oven over medium heat add olive oil, minced onions and minced garlic--cook/stir until onions are see-through. Turn heat back to medium low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped basil, baking soda, white sugar, salt, pepper and oregano--cook/stir until mixture is simmering. Tilt the lid on the Dutch oven and simmer for 2 hours or until sauce is thick. Taste--adjust seasonings as necessary.

#3365 - Fried Onion Potato Cakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
5 cups fresh shredded potatoes (peel potatoes before shredding)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 beaten eggs
1 small onion (minced)
1/4 cup canola oil (for frying--more if necessary)

After shredding and measuring the potatoes, place the shredded potatoes in paper towels and ring out as much of the moisture as you can. In a bowl add flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder--stir to mix. Add 1/3 cup canola oil, beaten eggs and minced onions--stir to mix. Add shredded potatoes--stir to coat. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat add 1/4 cup canola oil (more if necessary)--heat until oil is very hot. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot oil, then flatten each cake with the back of the spoon. Fry until bottoms are browned, then flip them and fry until the other side is browned. Drain them on paper towels before serving.

#3167 - Greek Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

8oz. raw pasta shells
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1/4 cup Half & Half
1 TBSP white vinegar
2 TBSP minced onions
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups bite sized cooked chicken pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup drained olives (cut into small pieces)

Cook and drain pasta shells according to box directions but do NOT rinse. Cool pasta shells to room temperature. In a bowl add sour cream, half and half, white vinegar, minced onions, dill weed, salt and pepper--stir well to mix. Pour sour cream mixture over the drained pasta shells--stir to coat. Add chicken pieces, feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber and olive pieces--stir to mix.

#3085 - Deviled Eggs and Ham

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 hard boiled eggs
3 TBSP minced onions (optional)
3 TBSP minced celery
1/2 cup small cubed cooked ham pieces
4 TBSP minced pickles OR pickle relish
2-4 heaping TBSP mayo
1/4 tsp. dill
1-2 tsp. French's yellow mustard (optional)
white sugar if necessary
salt
pepper
finely shredded cheddar cheese (ROOM TEMPERATURE)

Hard boil 8 eggs, then cool and peel eggs. Slice each egg in half lengthwise. Use a fork and remove yolks and place the yolks in a small bowl. Add minced onions, minced celery, cubed ham, pickles/relish, dill, mustard and 2 TBSP mayo to the yolks--stir well. If mixture is too dry, add more mayo and stir again. Taste--if too sour add a little white sugar and stir again. Add salt and pepper if necessary--stir well. Use one heaping tsp. of yolk mixture to fill each egg white half. Place completed deviled eggs on a jelly roll pan (pan with a lip) and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top of each deviled egg. Turn oven to broil and place deviled eggs under the broiler just until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

#2210 - Bacon Corn Chowder

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 slices cooked bacon (crumbled--more if you wish)
2 TBSP minced onions
1 TBSP minced celery
1 tsp. canola oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups whole kernel corn (drained)
2 red potatoes (washed, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
3 fresh tomatoes (chopped fine)
2 pints of milk
salt and pepper to your taste
1 cup cooked ham pieces OR cooked chicken pieces (bite sized)

In a Dutch oven add canola oil, onions and celery--cook/stir over medium heat until tender. Add corn and bacon--cook/stir for 3 minutes. Add potato pieces, chopped parsley, tomato pieces, salt and pepper--stir. Cover and turn heat to low--simmer until potatoes are tender. Add milk and ham or chicken pieces--stir/cook until boiling. Once boiling, remove from heat. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

#2029 - Chicken Broth Polenta

(by Rachel Guarini - friend)

6 cups chicken broth
dry minced onions
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3 TBSP unsalted butter

In a saucepan over medium heat add chicken broth--bring to a boil. Add some dry minced onion (to your taste) to the broth--stir. Gradually whisk in the yellow cornmeal. Turn heat to low and cook until mixture thickens and cornmeal is tender (stirring often--takes about 15 minutes). Remove from heat. Add unsalted butter and stir until butter is melted. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and let it cool/harden--it will take the shape of the bowl. Slice the polenta into pieces and add red pasta sauce--microwave until hot. Top with your favorite shredded cheese.

#1245 - Garlic Chicken Alfredo

(by Aunt Eileen [Knouse] Carter)

1/4 cup flour
6 - 4oz. chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 TBSP minced onion
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. pepper

Sprinkle salt and pepper to your taste on each side of the chicken breasts. Pound each chicken breast with a meat tenderizer until thin. In a Ziploc bag add the flour--add one chicken breast at a time and shake to coat--repeat with all chicken breasts. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat--add chicken breasts and cook/brown each side. Once chicken is browned place chicken breasts in a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. In the skillet you used add minced garlic and minced onion--cook just until tender. Add whipping cream, pepper and Parmesan cheese to the garlic/onion mixture--stir and cook until hot and thick. Spoon the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil--bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered until chicken is tender.

#557 - Seashell Tuna Salad

(by Joan [Redman] Tippett - friend)

1 cup Hellmann's mayo (light or regular)
3 TBSP lemon juice
celery salt to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 8oz. box seashell macaroni (cooked and drained)
1 - 6oz. can Star Kist solid white albacore tuna (drained and flaked)
1 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed (optional)

In a large pot add water and 1/2 tsp. salt--bring to a boil. Add dry macaroni--put lid on pot, turn off the heat and let it sit 10-12 minutes until macaroni is tender. Drain macaroni in a collander--do not rinse. While still warm, add all other ingredients and the macaroni to the pot--stir well . Season to taste with celery salt and celery seed if desired. Cover and refrigerate.